As a long time bartender and mixologist, I was unfortunate not to be exposed to the famous Peruvian (and Chilean) brandy Pisco until moving into the SF Bay Area several years ago. Upon being handed a glass of Puro (straight Pisco) at Cantinna in Union Square on an unexpected visit while on a night out on the town in SF with fellow bartenders, I was turned on to this little elixir none-too-soon. I'm now creating Pisco cocktails, sipping on an ORO Italia puro at the end of my nights, researching the Pisco Punch and Sour, reading the exhaustive Guillermo Toro-Lira books on the subject,studying the terroir and production, visiting the bartenders cocktail lab at ORO on Treasure Island,going to trade events, etc., etc..., of this spirit that gained fame in American (and is still the leading US consumer) culture in San Francisco, a mainstay there since the Gold Rush days. After this introduction I will be heading into a 3-part article on Pisco. Part 1-Book reviews on several Pisco books and a review of the basics of laws and tastings of Pisco. Part 2 will visit several local and well-known San Francisco bars and labs with a Pisco focus and a look at the bartenders who love the magical stuff, and the cocktails they make. Part 3 will take us into the heart of Peru and Chile to explore the land is comes from, and the bars that focus on it's homeland spirit, meeting the faces and places that make it special.